A Visit to Malaysia, Where Trees Have Leaves and Branches

The Island Soft Corner Tuesday 9th December, 2008 11 A visit to Malaysia, where trees have leaves and branches

that there were fears find it for ourselves.” (He was the Sabah Daily Express. He couldn’t es”. for the safety of offi- always right.) remember any details about the Not a lot to go on. cers, a government offi- One of the special things about appearance of the tree other than the Share your tales about Malaysia cial said. So adminis- Malaysia is that it is simultaneously fact that “it had leaves and branch- with our columnist via www.vit- trators closed the modern and ancient. For example, in police base and moved one part of the country, signs were officers out of the dis- erected to try to stop people throwing trict. trash on the ground. “People who I heard about this drop litter will be cursed and never from reader Hazrul have children,” the signs said. The Nizam, who said: campaign worked like a charm. (They “Whenever you think should try this in other countries.) you’ve seen and heard But fast modernization comes ungling Malaysian armed it all, politicians come out with with risks, I know from the Malaysia raiders robbed a large something to mess with your bear- tales in my files. I’ll never forget the B armoured cash-transporter ings.” officials in Kangar, a town named with a tiny, compact car. Hazrul was not the only person after a tree, who decided to celebrate They overpowered the security to think this odd. A politician their symbol – and then discovered guards and grabbed the money— named Mohamed Hatta Ramli said that they had all been chopped down. but couldn’t fit the sacks of cash that if the police did not feel safe in Embarrassed members of the Kangar into their miniature getaway vehi- the area, what about the public? Municipal Council of Sabah offered cle. What baffled him most was the cash to anyone who could locate one. Models showcase creations with theme “The Journey” by Indonesian design- er Ronald Ghagana during the opening of the Islamic Fashion Festival in The robbers fled, leaving more fact that “contagious diseases” They didn’t even have a picture of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Nov. 24, 2008. For many, Islamic fashion than half the loot behind. were identified as one of the main it, and were driven to asking elderly might seem synonymous with strait-laced garments that leave everything to What a group of geniuses! I reasons for moving the police. “The citizens to try to remember what it the imagination, but some Asian designers are trying to equip modern Muslim wonder what they’ll do next? Try to only kind of contagious diseases looked like. “There were many women with a wardrobe that obeys both sartorial trends and spiritual dic- empty a bank vault into a shopping that are present there are sexually- Kangar trees here, but they have all tates. (AP) trolley? Steal the Eiffel Tower with transmitted ones,” Hatta said. Why been felled,” Hamzah Abidin, 70, told a wheelbarrow? did the government think The crime pages of Malaysian police were in danger of newspapers never fail to amuse me. catching them? “That kind Take a recent decision by law of thing is a matter of enforcement officials, for example. choice,” he delicately point- Police administrators discov- ed out. ered that a police station was in a Maybe the government high crime area. So they closed it thinks police officers are down. weak-willed. Pathetic. I am not making this up. Personally, I can resist any- Research showed that the Chow Kit thing, except temptation. area of inner city Kuala Lumpur But I know not everyone contained many criminals and is as strong-willed as I am. members of the vice trade. The As one of my friends used area was “full of contagious dis- to pray before we went out eases” and there were so many on Friday nights: “Lead us unsavoury characters on the streets not into temptation. We can Australian film industry honours Heath Ledger

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Heath Ledger’s family paid a teary- tribute to the late Australian actor as they accepted a top Australian film industry award on his behalf. Ledger was posthumously given the Australian Film Institute’sinternational award for best actor during the weekend for hisvirtuoso performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” Ledger’s performance in the Batman blockbuster is regarded as asolid chance for a posthumous Academy Award for best supportingactor. “It was this swaggering, psychopathic clown that turned hiscareer into a legacy and the name Heath Ledger into an Heath Ledger ongoinginspiration to actors every- where,” the film institute said at “We are so proud of him and humbly theawards ceremony in the southern city accept this award on behalfof his beauti- of Melbourne on Saturday night. ful daughter, who we will cherish forever,” His father Kim, mother Sally and sis- she added, referring to Matilda Ledger, ter Kate accepted the awardfrom actor the 3-year-old daughter he had with Michael Caton. American actress Michelle Williams.Sally “It’s been without a doubt the most Ledger thanked the film institute for the difficult year, losing sucha loved family tribute to herson, who died aged 28 of an member,” said Kate Ledger, fighting back accidental prescription drug overdose in tears. New York in January. Del Toro attends screening of ‘Che’ in Havana HAVANA (AP) - He spoke Actor Benicio del Toro says protest- Saturday as ers at the Miami screening of “Che” about 1,500 peo- should have watched the film first. ple attended the Del Toro plays Argentine-born screening of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, a hero of the the movie by Cuban revolution and global icon. He director Steven says the role was difficult and took a lot Soderbergh at a of time. film festival in Cuban exiles protested the movie in Del Toro Havana. Miami last week. Many opposed Guevara The Puerto for executions of officials from Rican actor won the Cannes Film Fulgencio Batista’s government, which Festival’s best-actor prize for his per- was toppled in 1959. formance. But del Toro says “a lot of the people © The Telegraph Group protesting the movie hadn’t seen it.” London 2008